Kawasaki's regular ZX-10RR rider in the WorldSBK Championship, Garrett Gerloff, left the previous round in Portugal feeling that he had made a breakthrough in his understanding of how best to compete in real race situations on the Ninja.

Currently 16th in the championship after two rounds and six races, Gerloff had shown strong pace in winter testing despite this being his first season as a Kawasaki rider in WorldSBK. Until the second full-distance race at the Portimao circuit two weeks ago, translating that pace into full race situations had not been as straightforward as expected, even for the experienced Gerloff and his equally seasoned Italian-based team.

At Assen Garrett and his crew will have three more opportunities to score championship points, but only after the completion of two free practice sessions on Friday 11 April. Superpole qualifying and a 21-lap Race One will be held on Saturday 12 April, with the ten-lap Superpole Race and then a full distance Race Two, ending the competitive action on Sunday 13 April.

The TT Circuit Assen is one of the most popular and frequently visited venues on the entire WorldSBK trail, mixing some lingering echoes of the original open road circuit with much more contemporary sections. Even after its multiple modifications and evolutions over the years Assen still features some unique slipstreaming areas, plus several really open corners that flow into each other.

Garrett Gerloff, stated: “I am looking forward to Assen as it is a track that I enjoy. I think this can be a better weekend for me on the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR. I learned a lot at the last race in Portimao and I hope that I can apply what I learned to this weekend at Assen, so that I can have a good round for the team and myself. Let’s get started.”